Songs of a Lost Memory
by Alykazaam
Summary: Three months after the defeat of Hawk Moth and the loss of Marinette's memories after passing on the miraculous to a new Guardian. The former miraculous holders whom Marinette still remembered from before her time as Ladybug throw a party in her honor and reintroduce her to forgotten friends.


"I'll never forget you, Marinette."

"I know, Tikki, and I wish I could say the same."

"Goodbye."

"I love you."

It had been three months since the final battle of the Miracle War. The end of the war, along with the defeat of Hawkmoth and Mayura, brought on a long awaited peace in the city of Paris. But the final victory was not all glory. Emille Augreste, the long missing mother of Adrien Augreste, and the soul motivation of her husband Gabriel's decent into villainy, was lost forever. The only casualty of absolute power corrupting absolutely.

Much to the surprise of the miraculous holders, Adrien was able to let go Finally after Gaining the closure about his mother's disappearance. It had also helped that the heroes who stood and fought beside him were not just his comrades, but once the holders of the miraculous were exposed of their identities, they were also his dearest closest friends.

The hardest task the heroes had to face now that the war was over, was the arrival of the Supreme Guardians of the miraculous. Who came to Paris to retrieve the lost Miracle Box Master Fu had escaped with 176 years before. Meaning that Marinette, as the acting Guardian of the miraculous, once she returned the Miraculous to the true Guardians, she relinquished all memories she had of Ladybug and the miraculous.

Though memories of old friends like Alya, Juleka, and Rose would remain vivid in Marinette's mind and heart as ever. All the friends she gained after receiving the Ladybug Miraculous were lost in the wake of duties being passed on to the new Guardian.

They would be forgotten like the blurred images of a bad fever dream. And those who were aware of that fate, chose not to break their hearts any further saying their goodbyes to Marinette and going their separate ways as her time as Ladybug drew short.

Among those who would drift away from Marinette's memories were Adrien and Kagami who coped with the loss of their best friend by finding solace in each other's arms, and soon their hearts.

Luka, on the other hand, had disappeared as swiftly as he seemingly materialized in the cabin of the Liberty all those years ago.

But today was not the day to sulk about the Marinette that was lost. Today was the day to celebrate Paris' newfound peace. A new day to welcome a new Marinette who, despite forgetting all the wisdom she gained during her years aps Ladybug and the Guardian, carried herself with the poise and grace of the wisest of sages. And to reintroduce her to those who missed her presence dearly.

Ivan and Melene, who suggested and planned the celebration, called it Marinette's 'clean slate' party with a smile that echoed with a tinge of sadness. Though she remembered her two friends fondly, Marinette had no recollection of her influence on their journey in love.

The party was held at the Liberty, the only place in Paris anyone could think of that was worthy of the fun and music the former miraculous holders were about to unleash in the name of a good time

And it was everything everyone expected it to be. Great food was displayed on many tables and beautiful decorations adorned the deck of the Liberty, which had still plenty of room for all the dancing that would take place. All that was left to do was to wait for the lady of the hour to finally arrive.

Kim, Max, Alix, Rose, and Juleka leaned on the edge of the Liberty, watching the currents of the water move down the French Canal while waiting in silence. Reminiscing of their times in school before hawk moth and Akumas.

"So Max," Kim asked looking to his smaller friend who happened to wear his best bow tie and suspenders to the event, "is there even a small chance that Mari might remember anything?"

Max sighed and pushed his thick glasses up his nose as he answered. "I've done the math several times, and her odds are always the same. 4,786,275,963.72 to 1. Marinette honestly has a better chance of sprouting wings than remembering her time spent as Ladybug."

The group exhaled a sigh in unison upon hearing the impossibility explained to them, Max included.

Alix turned to Juleka. The violet haired woman stared out at the water. Her head resting on her hand that was propped up with her elbow on the Liberty's railing. "hey, Jules, is your brother here?"

"Ya."

Alix looked around the ship' deck and returned her gaze at her quiet friend.

"Um…where?"

"Sulking…"

Alix joined her brooding friend mimicking the same pose on the railing. "it's not fair, Jules."

"Life and love never is, Alix."

Juleka thought of her brother who once had a smile that made her think of the brisk carefree winds of the sea. A smile that had disappeared at the end of the war. She did not know which was worse. Her brother's loss of the woman he loved, or the realization she returned his affections and confessed her love during the final battle; knowing that the end of the war would bring the end of Paris's miraculous era, and the loss of his lover's memory of him. Luka Couffaine assured the former heroes that he was going to be alright and would carry on, but being his sister, Juleka knew and could see him crumbling to pieces inside.

The violet haired beauty was taken out of her thoughts when a soft hand with pink fingernails reached out for her own. She turned to see rose giving her a smile and a bright blue wink of her big doe eyes.

Rose always knew what to say without uttering a single word. And soon Juleka's lips turned into a content smile as she gently turned her hand to hold the pixie blonde's hand in hers.

The silence of the group was broken by Nino running to them as he adjusts the red hat on his head while he spoke.

"Hey guys, Alya just sent me a text. They're about to approach the dock."

"Where's Adrien and Kagami?" Rose asked as she took a glance around the Liberty's deck, "I sure hope they made it. "

"They did," Nino answered with a smile. "They were gonna meet Alya and Mari at the dock and talk for a minute before heading in."

Alix interrupts threw conversation with more concern in her voice than she wished to reveal, "don't you think that's a terrible idea?!"

"Chillax dudette, Alya's got it covered. She is my girlfriend after all."

"Well I hope this party doesn't end before it starts because of this." Alix harrumphed as she crossed her arms in disapproval.

At the dock, Adrien and Kagami stood before the Liberty. The blonde young model taking hits fingers against his thigh erratically until Kagami placed her slender, sword worn hand on his and laced their fingers together.

"You're nervous," Kagami spoke, looking ahead with the familiar air of stoicism that Adrien had never seen in anyone else.

"If course I'm nervous," there was a slight quiver in his voice. "Kagami, what if she doesn't like us? What if she does some strange love at first sight thing?"

"Adrien, she could never dislike us. And if she falls for you. We just tell her we're together, and she will accept it. We're just two people making a new friend. And she's about to meet two new friends. History doesn't usually repeat itself."

Adrien turned to his long time fencing partner and now girlfriend and gently cupped her face in his hand. He still was unsure how he managed to meet such a wonderful and wise person.

"I hope you're right, Kagami."

Jade eyes met an amber gaze for a moment. There was only the two comrades turned lovers in this world, and time slowed to a standstill around them.

"Heeeeeey! Lovebirds!"

It was Alya walking down the Parisian street toward the dock; hand in hand with a dark haired girl in a light pink sundress embroidered with flowers along the hip. Her hair was loose and draped her petite yet toned shoulders.

It was the princess herself, Marinette DuPain-Cheng.

"C'mon, girl," Alya was heard saying as she hurried across the last empty street before the dock with their friend. Meeting the couple who were waiting. "I gotta introduce you to some friends of mine." She held her hand over to Adrien and Kagami drawing Marinette's smiling face in their direction. "This is Adrien Augreste and his girlfriend Kagami Tsurugi. And guys, this is my friend, Marinette." The bronze woman turned her hands to her companions direction.

Marinette smiled joyfully as she waved, "Hi, its wonderful to meet yo-" she trailed off as she looked into Adrien's eyes and furrowed her brow as she tilted her head in concentration.

"I'm sorry, but have we met before?"

Adrien's blood went cold as he began to stammer his words, "I…uh…umm," much in the same way Mari used to when they first got to know each other years ago. Before he was able to muster an excuse Kagami chuckled into her hand quietly before pointing behind Marinette. Their new friend turned to see a bus stop nearby with an ad for Augreste fashion that had Adrien on display.

With a loud laughter hand on her chest and a rose tinted on her cheeks Marinette felt like a fool for a second. "oh goodness! I should have known you were that Adrien Augreste. How silly of me!"

Before long the four were roaring with laughter only to be interrupted by Nino and the gang calling to them from the Liberty.

"Hey, Adrien, quit keeping the ladies all to yourself and get up here with us!"

"Yeah or we just might start this party without our guest of honor!"

"Yeah!"

The four reunited friends looked up at the Liberty. And Adrien turned to the three women beside him. "well I believe it's time to head in M'ladies."

Marinette began to rush on ahead of the group as the guest of honor they referred to was her. She suddenly stopped before turning around and pulled Kagami and Adrien in a loving embrace that took them off guard.

"I'm so glad to meet you both! I hope we can be great friends!"

Adrien and Kagami returned their affection and held their friend tight while saying together "the best."

A few hours into the party, everyone had celebrated a toast to Paris' freedom from Hawk Moth and the threat of akumas. Afterwards they played games, ate, drank, and were merry as they told stories about the hero's that helped save the city that Marinette did not remember.

The party's most anticipated guest was having a wonderful time and thought it was such a kind thing to do for little to no reason. It truly made her feel special and loved, this all meant the world to her. But the young lady could not help but feel that something was undeniably missing. The longer she thought about it she became disgruntled because the only thing that she could picture was a marine teal blue.

"Is something wrong, Marinette?" Melene asked her pondering friend with concern, placing a kind hand on her shoulder.

Marinette sighed and played with her manicured nails.

"For weeks now I have felt that something is missing. So much so that I even dream about it. It's always the same dream too, I hear a beautiful melody, and I see the most serene eyes looking into my own. Someone says something, but I can never make out the words. I just hoped that maybe I would happen to meet the person with those eyes and finally say hello."

Marinette looked up at Melene and Ivan who walked up and began to listen. His inner poet compelled to listen to the words of her heart. They looked at her with a aura of sadness about them that the girl wanted to shrug off in embarrassment.

"Eh heh heh, don't mind me. I'm just talking a bunch of nonsense!" Marinette tried to laugh off the mood she leaked into the room.

"Actually that sounds just like Lu-" Ivan began before seeing Rose and Juleka waving their arms in a frenzy in the Hope's he would just stop talking!

Luckily he got the hint.

"Uhh JAGGED STONE! He plays music and says tons of things that make no sense!"

Marinette giggled into her hands as the girls put of view quietly sighed and wiped their brows in relief. "No, Jagged Stone's over there talking to Miss Couffaine." She pointed over to the open stage on the deck where a woman with silver hair in a think braid talked with an eccentric man with magenta hair and the typical rock star outfit. Jagged sweet her pointing his way and waved before giving them a thumbs up.

"Rockin' party, kids!"

Marinette waved back before turning around a sigh escaping her lips. Melene shot a glare at Ivan as he rolled his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He certainly dodge a bullet.

"You know I think I'm gonna grab a mineral water from inside and sit down. I think the sun might be getting to me." Marinette pointed the stairs that led inside the Liberty's cabins, "I'll just be a few minutes, really." And she hurried off to the stairs before her friends could respond.

Once downstairs and in the Liberty's kitchen, Marinette walked to the pantry and pulled out a can of mineral water and sighed to herself. As she readied the tab to open the can, it slid out of shaking hands as the sound of a guitar's melody flooded her ears.

Though she had never heard the tune, tears welled up in her light blue eyes. She wiped her spontaneous tears in awe as she focused on the music to pinpoint its location.

It came from the lowest cabin of the ship.

Drawn to the song, Marinette stealthed her way down another short staircase and tiptoed down to avoid anyone from stopping her pursuit, and to reach the source of the music unnoticed.

As the melody grew louder and clearer, Marinette's heart began to skip a beat more and more until she a wide open doorway. She peeked in to see a dimly lit bedroom, the only light entering from the small round windows of the ship. On the bed against the wall sat a man with blue and black hair with his back turned to the doorway. Playing a melody on his guitar that made Marinette's heart both swell with love and sank in despair. He poured his everything, his very heart and soul, into every note that sang from each string.

The song reached it's end and the guitarist slowly wrapped his arms around his instrument, heaving a sigh so heavy and shaken Marinette could almost hear the tears as they roll down his face that she could not see.

"Sass," he said quietly to the empty room. "I don't know what to do."

Unsure of what to say, the words "excuse me" escaped Marinette's lips in a whisper. She didn't have curiosity about the name he spoke, she only wanted to understand his music.

"I'm sorry," the stranger spoke in a voice, deep and tired. "Please, don't worry, I don't want-"

"No," the woman cut him off gently. "Please…why does playing something so beautiful cause you so much pain?" The desire to understand this man she had never met grow stronger with every passing second. It was almost painful in her chest.

"M…Miss…" he began without turning around to face her. Marinette began to wonder if he was avoiding looking at her. But something told her it was not to avoid her seeing his tears. But something deeper. "Do you believe in Second Chance?"

"Of course I do," Marinette answered as she leaned her back onto the doorway watching this mysterious musician who hide himself away. Why did her heart flutter so around him?

"Not long ago you could say it was my superpower." He said with a short laugh that was forced in an attempt to lighten the mood. "But anymore, the idea seems impossible."

"How come?" Marinette asked, desperate to understand the man she just met moments ago. Her body desires to inch closer but remained set in the doorway out of respect.

"It…no longer matters. I lost her."

"Who?"

He remained silent for seconds that felt like years before he slid black painted fingernails up the guitar neck and began to play once more the melody that lured Marinette down to the cabins sang out and called to her.

"Her." He spoke of the song as if it were a third person standing in the room.

Marinette could not help herself but to ask "what happened?"

"She's gone. And all I have left of her is the song in her heart," he confessed as he continued to play.

"It sounds like you loved her dearly," she placed a hand to her chest and closed her eyes, but her heart would not calm down.

"More than anything, and I always will," for the first time in their conversation, his voice rose in volume slightly and was warm with content.

"What was she like?"

The room remained quiet of words as the song floated around the walls before he answered her question

"Extraordinary." He began with love and admiration in his voice. "Clear as a music note; sincere as a melody…"

The words he spoke grabbed Marinette by the heart and shook the deepest core of her being. Her cheeks grew rosy and her eyes widened with understanding. They resonated inside a part of her that felt chained away in a secret place that was now free to escape to the surface. Revealing to her heart a secret she had no clue she hid from herself.

Suddenly she pictured those eyes she had seen every night in her dreams. Those deep ocean blue eyes staring into her own. Before she was aware of her actions, the words that fell from her lips matched the ones she was hearing for the first time.

"She was the music that played inside my (your) head since the day we first met."

Upon hearing each other utter the same words, the guitar's song stopped as the man slowly turned to Marinette. His eyes wide as if he was looking at a ghost, partially hidden behind scattered tufts of black and blue hair that gracefully fell down along his face were the soulful ocean blue eyes that taunted Marinette every night for the last three months.

Those eyes were now looking into her soul once again in the waking life and Marinette could not help but gaze back into them. She spoke a single word that shook the man down to the deepest center of his soul.

"Luka…"

"Ma…mamaMarinette!"

In the moment, the invisible shackles that chained the two bodies still suddenly shattered like glass as they raced to each other. The guitar fell with a harmonic thump as Luka hurriedly climbed off the bed and reached out as they collided into each other in the most desperate embrace. The urge to hold each other was so overwhelming with passion it was almost violent.

Determined to make sure the other was real, they pressed their lips onto any skin they found exposed in hard sweet kisses.

Luka showered his love in kisses he had held back since that moment he opened his eyes and she stood before him in the same cabin when they were young.

Marinette held onto him as tight as she could. Unknowingly the same way he held her the day she crumble under the pressures of her responsibilities and cried into his chest. Though the memories of her time as Ladybug were forever gone and forgotten, the warmth of Luka's embrace felt so familiar.

And she never wanted this familiar feeling to slip away ever again.

Luka entangled himself tight against Marinette's body, hoping to weave his body and soul into hers so that they would never part. He thought of the Snake Kwami of Second Chance and pondered if the magical creature had left behind just enough magic for one last miracle, and if Sass had done so, Luka would remain grateful for the rest of his days.


End file.
